All Chapters of The Secret Island: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10
96 Chapters
CHAPTER 1: That Man
I don’t know if he will show up… He once promised he will… back to that day in the summer; he promised he will, he said he would come back to see her again. But when the time passed. Winter came and went, then spring that she loved, and summer came around all over again for the fourth time; she is uncertain of that promise. We only spent two weeks together. Only two weeks Celine spent with him. Only two weeks changed her life. And now she is here. She is back to this small island in the Mediterranean Sea every year for two weeks… just like four years ago, just like those times fate led her to him. He was a tall man who rarely smiled as if he carried the weight of the world. That man… Martin Celine didn’t know much about him, who he truly was, or what he did for a living. She doesn’t even know where in the world he is. But she thinks she knows him. She knows he was a serious and strict but kind person. She knows he rarely smile
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CHAPTER 2: Always More Baroque Than Broke
Celine laid three bikinis on a bed in a small hotel she booked online two weeks earlier. Which one should I pick? Red… black… or leopard? Anything is fine, actually. She felt confident in everything she wears anyway. Besides, being alone on this island that barely has any tourists shouldn’t cause much worry about appearance anyway. Since she left the boat and set foot on this island, the atmosphere here was quite calming, part of her was glad to escape the hectic life of the university, but part of her was concerned that the island was so quiet. Perhaps, I’m scared of my own thoughts. Her Italian friend suggested her this island for a getaway trip. She flew to Rome, took a short one-hour car ride, and a small ferry to this place. All this hardship to forget. Does it worth it? It must be. It must be! I need to be happy! Celine walked out of the room after choosing a red bikini and putting on a white hotel robe. She spent an hour doing makeup. Even if
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CHAPTER 3: The Villa
Celine should barely realize the time when she found herself in the stranger’s room, a small and simplistically decorated villa similar to the style of its owner. He told her his name was Martin and that I should shower to wash off the seawater. Soon after, one simple white t-shirt and short trousers were handed to her. The clothes were clean; they smelled like a morning in summer. He seemed to be a man of modest means and talked only when necessary. To her, the silence was unbearable, but she didn’t know what she should talk to him about. “How long will you stay on this island? When do you plan to go back?” He asked as soon as he saw her come out of the bathroom. She dried her hair with his gray towel while answering. “Err, two weeks. I planned for a long holiday.” She answered softly. The initial plan of a spontaneous trip alone was more appealing before now when she was alone with only a stranger whom she took a shot at trusting to turn to
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CHAPTER 4: Day One
“There is only one bedroom at the villa, so you can take the bed. I will change the bed sheet for you. I can sleep on the couch.” He told her while we were walking back to the villa. Martin wasn’t surprised when she asked permission to stay with him. It was difficult to comprehend what was on his mind when he was silent for the whole 30 seconds before agreeing. “Martin…” She reached out to touch the hem of his shirt. There was something we had forgotten. And it might sound funny, but before she goes to live with him and sleep in his bed, Celine thinks that she should tell him this. “Hmm?” “You don’t care to ask me this, but err, my name is Celine.” And that was the first official introduction between her and the man who saved her from this trip crisis. We both stood still and looked at each other. Dumbfounded. He stared at her and blinked exactly three times. A light flickered in his eyes as he thought it was such a silly situation. They we
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CHAPTER 5: The Book
Celine kept the doubt. She knew in her heart that she shouldn't ask him. What made Martin look so stressed was probably very personal. And she didn't want to meddle in his personal matters. The king-size bed was so wide and comfortable that she was surprised she was able to wake up early. Perhaps it was because of the sunlight that shone through the windows.She woke up to the smell of the ocean and the gentle breeze from the ajar window. The sound of seagulls chirping was typical for this small town on an island. But then she heard other noises—utensils on pots and pans and something sizzling and boiling from right outside the room. And soon, the smell of the delicious food prompted her to get up from the bed.As Celine walked into the kitchen, she saw a tall man turned his back on her and cooking. He wore a tight workout outfit showing his athletic figure. She guessed that he had just gone jogging in the morning.Martin was still wearing wireless headphones. He cou
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CHAPTER 6: Day Two
Later that day, Martin brought her to buy new clothes despite her insistence to go alone. He said he had all the time to spare anyway. It didn’t hurt to walk around and do some sightseeing. From our conversation, she found that he had been staying on the island for two months already and intended to enjoy this ‘long holiday’ and rest from work. He told her he hadn’t taken a break for many years after postgrad. Celine didn’t ask him questions; she didn’t know what to say. We walked around the bay where the yachts were lined up, and there were a lot of shops there. Old buildings are painted in bright orange and yellow colors, typical of the city's art. She felt that this area was the most active tourist destination on the island. Otherwise, she could easily mistake the island for being deserted. With little cash left, she had to borrow Martin. She promised that as soon as the money was transferred in two days (the poor girl finally gave in to talking to her pa
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CHAPTER 7: Day Three
“Oh, good morning. You woke up even earlier today. Do you want to sit here with me?” Martin greeted her in this early morning.Celine looked at him suspiciously. He was the kind of person she didn't understand. At times he would be so quiet that she thought he was half mute. Since we are just on good terms, she could tell he was more used to ordering people around rather than being nice to them. And the experience yesterday was kind of odd for her. After eating ice cream together for a while and she told him that she wasn't angry anymore. It was as if Martin had already concluded in his head that she wasn't angry, and he should cease all further effort. Like a switch, his nice kind words spoken in a gentle tone stopped there. We return to speaking normally as if in his head; convincing her to forgive him was like some sort of a mission he had already accomplished. And what he should do was to move on to something else.And that something else was to go back to the villa and work. She
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CHAPTER 8: The Beach
“Martin! Come here. The weather is great today!” Celine smiled and laughed cheerfully and quickly ran past the white sand, hoping to swim in the ocean as quickly as possible.“Hey, be careful not to fall!” Shouted the man following behind him without haste.Martin refused to go shopping for new swimming gear. He didn’t like to buy new things, so he just wore his black shorts and simple white shirt. He said, "Don't make it a big deal." He then went to get some towels and made sandwiches for lunch on the beach. He was still bossy, though, telling her to find sunscreen and scowling at her when she forbade him to take his work papers and a book. “Will you read in water?” She asked him, who hurriedly put the book down. But no matter how dissatisfied he seemed, Martin did as she asked. It was at this point that she thought Martin was trying to adapt himself to living with her. Although he was unlike other people who have pampered her in her entire life—he was too quiet and even reprimanded
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CHAPTER 9: His Soul
“You accused me of being too quiet, and now you don’t say anything.” Martin made a note of her silence. She stole a glance at him after taking a small bite of a sandwich. He was drying his hair with a towel. After we swam together for a bit, Martin went out and swam separately. He was intensive in his sport as if doing an Olympic practice, leaving her alone to gradually enjoy the cold water. What kind of person is this serious? Celine was deep in thought—a feeling was slowly emerging inside her heart. She didn’t know what it was. The feeling that every attention is drawn to one thing...one person... She suspected it was not an admiration. No, he was not even her type. He was not a charming speaker. He lectured her on everything. How could she like someone like that? “Is it delicious?” Martin asked, and he smiled at her causing her heart to skip a beat again. …But he was kind… Celine shook her head without looking at him but quickly turned away after catching only a glimpse. She
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CHAPTER 10: Day Four
“Because of you! Because of all of you, my family has to face this fate!”“…should we do something to help?”“Nothing is truly right or wrong, black or white; nothing is that easy to judge, Martin. You really don’t know that, my boy?”“…but…”“You choose this life; you live with the tradeoffs. It’s necessary.” Gasp! Martin woke up early. It was six in the morning, the time he always woke up for a jog. He shook his head to shake away the grogginess and slowly massaged his temples as he thought of memories that had been haunting him for months. Until he could finally make a decision, he would feel guilty for the rest of his life. Or maybe what the people said was true—he was a coward. The sounds of chirping birds in the morning and the cool breeze calm him down. He loved the morning. He had to go out and run to clear his head at dawn when the weather was this comforting. But as soon as he tried to get up... Incredibly small arms pulled him into a tight hu
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